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Best travel mugs and reusable coffee cups
The best travel mugs keep your tea warm for a few hours on a long drive, and your chilled water cold. The best reusable coffee cups are a sustainable game-changer for your morning commute.
Using temperature probes and thermal imaging cameras, we've tested coffee cups from Caffè Nero, Chilly's and Circular&Co; and travel mugs from Contigo, Costa, Yeti and many more popular brands.
Discover the best travel mugs below, or scroll down the page for the best reusable coffee cups.
The best travel mugs
Only logged-in Which? members can view the travel mug test results below.
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| Travel mug | Is it leakproof? | Temperature retention (hot and cold) | Durability | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Excellent | Good | ||
| Yes | Good | Average | ||
| Yes | Good | Average | ||
| Yes | Good | Excellent | ||
| No | Excellent | Average | ||
| No | Good | Good | ||
| No | Good | Good |
Date tested: February 2023. Page last checked September 2024. We are not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
The travel mugs we tested
All the travel mugs we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best travel mugs from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.
Bodum Travel Mug
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Size tested (other sizes) 350ml (600ml)
Need to know Clip lid, one-year warranty, available in multiple colours
Contigo West Loop Autoseal Travel Mug
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Size tested 470ml (no other size available)
Need to know Trigger-action lid, lock button, dishwasher safe, other colours available
Costa Tall Cup
Also available in-store at Costa
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Size tested 450ml (no other size available)
Need to know Twist lid, no other colours available
Joseph Joseph Sipp Reusable Travel Mug
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Size tested (other sizes) 454ml (340ml)
Need to know Clip lid, dishwasher safe, two-year guarantee, other colours available
Le Creuset Stainless Steel Travel Mug
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Size tested 350ml (no other size available)
Need to know Clip lid, five-year warranty, other colours available
Nespresso Touch Travel Mug
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Size tested 345ml (no other size available)
Need to know Clip lid, dishwasher safe, other colours available
Stanley Leakproof Stainless Steel Travel Mug
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Size tested (other sizes) 350ml (250ml, 470ml)
Need to know Trigger-action lid, dishwasher safe, lifetime warranty, other colours available
Tefal Travel Mug
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Size tested 360ml (no other size available)
Need to know Push-button lid, dishwasher safe, five-year guarantee, other colours available
Thermos King Travel Tumbler
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Size tested 470ml (no other size available)
Need to know Twist lid with built-in tea hook to hold tea bags, five-year guarantee, other colours available
Yeti Rambler Travel Mug
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Size tested (other sizes) 591ml (296ml, 710ml, 887ml)
Need to know Magnetic slide lid, dishwasher safe, five-year warranty, other colours available
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The best reusable coffee cups
Only logged-in Which? members can view the coffee cup test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Reusable coffee cups | Is it leakproof? | Temperature retention (hot) | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Excellent | ||
| No | Excellent | ||
| Yes | Good | ||
| Yes | Good | ||
| No | Good | ||
| Yes | Average |
Date tested: November 2019. Page last checked September 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The reusable coffee cups we tested
All the coffee cups we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best reusable coffee cups from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.
Bru Reusable Coffee Cup
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Size tested 340ml (no other size available)
Need to know Slide lid, dishwasher safe, one-year warranty, other colours available
Caffè Nero KeepCup
Available from Caffè Nero (£11)
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Size tested (other sizes) 355ml (473ml)
Need to know Clip lid, dishwasher safe
Chilly's Original Coffee Cup
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Size tested (other sizes) 340ml (500ml)
Need to know Open lid, two-year warranty, other colours available
Circular&Co. Reusable Coffee Cup
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Size tested (other sizes) 340ml (227ml)
Need to know Push lid, dishwasher safe, two-year guarantee, other colours available
KeepCup Brew Cork Edition
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Size tested (other sizes) 340ml (227ml, 454ml)
Need to know Clip lid, dishwasher safe, one-year warranty, other colours available
Stojo Collapsible Coffee Cup
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Size tested (other sizes) 355ml (473ml, 681ml)
Need to know Slide lid, dishwasher safe, other colours available
Make the best cup of coffee for your commute - see our coffee machine reviews, as well as the best milk frothers and best coffee grinders
How we test travel mugs and reusable coffee cups
Temperature control
- We measure how much the temperature of a hot coffee drops, or cool water rises, over three hours for travel mugs and one hour for coffee cups.
- Travel mugs are checked at the end of the day to see if they keep the drink warm or cool over the course of a whole day.
- We also use thermal imaging cameras to check each mug for any clear places where heat is escaping from.
Leakproof
We check each coffee cup and travel mug to see if it leaks water, both before and after opening and closing the lids many times.
Cleaning
We rate each travel mug and coffee cup on how easy it is to wash by hand.
We also test for any residual odour and/or excessive staining on the inside of each product.
Ease of use
We assess each mug and cup for how easy it is to hold, and use Cambridge simulation gloves to see which ones are more comfortable for people with reduced hand mobility.
We also look at how easy they are to drink from.
Taste
After repeatedly dirtying and cleaning each travel mug, a group of testers check to see how a cup of tea tastes in it, noting any strange, residual flavours.
Durability
Each travel mug is dropped multiple times to see how easily they dent, and if spills can be prevented.
Reusable coffee cup or travel mug: which is right for you?
Reusable coffee cups
These are a reusable version of a disposable takeaway cup. They can cost less than £10, and go up to around £30 for pricier cups insulated with stainless steel.
Most have a capacity of around 350ml, enough for a regular-sized coffee. They typically aren't advertised as fully spill-proof, and are intended for transporting coffee short distances.
Travel mugs
Prices range from £5 to around £35. They usually look more like a vacuum flask and are typically available in a regular 350ml size or some brands have larger options (450ml or more).
Most are designed to be more leakproof than reusable cups. However, we found from our testing that some still leak easily, even when advertised with phrases such as 'leak-resistant'.
If you have further to travel into work, or want a coffee that will stay warm for longer than a couple of hours, a travel mug is preferable to a reusable coffee cup. If you want a travel mug to sling into your backpack and you'd like that backpack to still be dry at the end of your commute, your best bet is to read our reviews, above.
How much caffeine are you actually consuming? - caffeine levels in high street coffees vary significantly, Which? finds
Looking after your reusable cup or travel mug
Cleaning
Rinse after each use This will help to prevent staining and any odours building up.
Is it dishwasher safe? While some coffee cups and travel mugs can be popped into a dishwasher on the top shelf, others need to be washed by hand. We've let you know if the ones we've reviewed are dishwasher safe, but check the packaging or manufacturer's website otherwise.
Pay attention to the lid They often have nooks and crannies that are hard to reach, especially if your travel mug has a complex lock mechanism to prevent spills. You could buy a small round cleaning brush, or bottle brush, for getting into these small spaces.
Dry with the lid off As most travel mugs are leakproof, leaving them to dry with the lid on will likely trap humidity and odours inside.
Deep clean with baking soda and vinegar Pair baking soda with white vinegar to effectively clean the inside of your travel mug. Wait for the reaction to finish, rinse out the cup and repeat if necessary.
Get the best clean - dishwasher tablet reviews
Replaceable parts
If you lose or damage part of your cup, such as the lid or seal, many brands offer replacements you can order online, including Bodum, Contigo, Bru, Chilly's, KeepCup, Stojo, Circular&Co and Thermos. Check the manufacturer website for information.